But ACT let the advantage slip. "We got carried away and began to think that whatever we did, it would be equally successful," Mr. Foster says.
The first mistake, common to many European technology companies, was a foray across the ocean. In 1985, ACT launched a $7 million advertising campaign in the U.S. aimed at stealing market share from Apple Computer Corp. The ads featured a photo of an apricot alongside an apple. As the series unfolded, the apricot grew, the apple shrank and eventually a big bite was taken out of the apple. In fact, the campaign flopped and the U.S. sortie cost ACT $14 million in 14 months of operation.